South Africa’s xenophobic violence is barbaric

The founder of the Nordic-African Association, Mr. Ayoola Lawal says the killings and burning of foreigners in South Africa is beastly, barbaric and completely absymal.

According Mr. Lawal, anti-foreigner statements credited to the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and the son of Edward Zuma, the son of President Jacob Zuma, asking non-South Africans to return to their respectful countries is quite condemnable, for no country can exist in isolation and if they are smart enough, they should bear in mind that South Africa as the second largest economy in Africa, is as a result of foreign investments and the entrepreneurship of South Africans and foreigners in South Africa.

In a signed statment, Mr. Lawal noted that “no one or country is a monopoly of knowledge as well as violence, it will be myopic to be terrorising foreigners in their country in a global world in which everything is inter-connected.

“The xenophobic killings, stealing and terrorising of other African brothers and sisters is a pure demonstration of shortness of memory of the crucial roles and contributions other African countries during their dark period of apartheid in South Africa.”

Mr. Lawal called on the government of South Africa to live up to its responsibility to protect and secure the lives and properties of foreigners living in South Africa and bring to book the people behind the senseless killings and terrorising.

Finally, he said, the government should consider compensations for the affected businesses and individuals.